Another healthy tip courtesy of Dr. Janet Brill

Tip #1: Don’t drink your calories–it’s far too easy to consume loads of calories, mindlessly. RX: Nix all sugary sodas, iced teas, smoothies and juices and limit your drinks to calorie-free beverages: coffee, tea, water. A nightly glass of red wine with dinner is the only calorie-containing beverage you should drink (other than fat-free milk or soy drinks which should be used to cook oatmeal or pudding and not as a beverage).

Tip #2: Time is precious…if weight loss is your goal, spend more time on healthy low-calorie food prep and planning and less on exercise. (Forget the 1 1/2 hour yoga class—take a 45 minute calorie-burning spin class and spend the extra 45 minutes at the supermarket or farmers market). Exercise helps with weight loss but diet is the driving factor in changing the number on the scale.

Tip #3: Keep a food and exercise diary–either the old-fashioned way: “you bite it you write it.” Or, if you prefer, track your health and fitness electronically on your computer, smart phone or app. It doesn’t matter how accurate you are–research has shown that the mere act of tracking helps people become aware of their food intake and exercise habits–which is the first step in accomplishing difficult lifestyle changes.

– Dr. Janet Brill, Nutritionist, Award-Winning Author, Go Red Spokesperson